cancer vixen interview title tk

A prime theme in your book is the struggle between the superficial New York glam ideal of beauty and a more authentic beauty. It sounds like you went through a real transformation, but without rejecting lipstick or great shoes in the process.

I’m somebody who used to weigh herself every five minutes when I was, like, 102 pounds. I was focused on weight and fashion—things that were completely superficial and not that important in the grand scheme of things. [Before cancer,] fashion was like a game of one-up womanship: You don't get dressed for the guy; you get dressed to psych out the girls, you know?

But [I came to] use fashion as a way to make me feel better about myself.I wore five-inch Lucite pumps to chemotherapy—so I could look at them instead of the chemo IV. And just recently when I went to have my mammogram, I wore a pair of black patent leather thigh-high boots—which were totally spectacular—and I looked at those instead of my boob being squished in the machine. Took a lot of the pain out, let me tell you.

To have a very pretty distraction.

Exactly.

There are a lot of spiritual moments in the book, and I wondered if you could talk a little bit about your religious background.

I’m Catholic, but I also study Kabbalah because that really helps me.

What are the Catholic parts of your life?

I really believe in the Virgin Mary and I pray to her daily.I sort of pray in my own way, and I’ll say the Rosary. I’m also in close contact with my priest, Father Peter Jacobs, who lives in Rome, in the Vatican. I talk to him at least three times a week.